Tag Archives: Brown Thrasher

Klehm Arboretum

January 16, 2017 Dan Williams Leave a comment

Klehm Arboretum is in south Rockford, about 2 miles north of US 20 (bypass). Exit US 20 (bypass) at IL 2 (Main Street) and go north on IL 2. The entry for Klehm Arboretum is at Clifton Avenue at the bottom of a long hill. Turn left on to Clifton and then another left into the Arboretum. Admission is $4 for adults. The arboretum is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., but is usually closed during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Check the Arboretum website for closure information and winter hours. The visitor center has feeders. Check them when you pay your admission. The Arboretum honors memberships from other botanical gardens if they are a member of the participating agency group.

The abundance of berries and winter food, plus the mixture of deciduous and coniferous vegetation, plus a lot of thickets, make Klehm a winter hotspot for birding. The main attraction is the flocks of Cedar Waxwings and American Robins, which sometimes include a Bohemian Waxwing. Winter finches also frequent Klehm, and, during invasion years, both species of crossbills can be found there. In the winter of 2012-2013, a Hoary Redpoll was in a flock of 110 Common Redpolls, and, at the same time, a Gray Catbird was in a thicket below the redpolls. Birders have also found Eastern Bluebirds (frequent in winter), Brown Thrasher, and, for two years in a row, a Townsend’s Solitaire (presumably the same bird) was feeding on juniper berries.

Raptors like to haunt Klehm and hunt the waxwings and robins. Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks are most common. Red-tailed Hawks and Bald Eagles (the Rock River is less than ¼ mile away) often fly over.

by Dan Williams

Iroquois County

Milford Water Treatment Plant and Recreation Area

March 7, 2013 Elliot Schunke Leave a comment

Just east of the village of Milford, along the south side of County Road 950 N, this site is a lovely area full of habitat in the middle of the corn desert. There are two large water water treatment ponds, a trail through riparian, bottomland woods, a couple tallgrass prairie restoration plots, a smattering of old fields, and agricultural land.

Start by birding the ponds. Morning is better for this as the sun glare in the afternoons makes it difficult. There is no access within the fences of the ponds but a large mound of dirt is present at the northeast side of the ponds. This can be climbed and the ponds can be scoped from the top. Some of the better birds found on and around the ponds have been Common Loon, Black Scoter, Black Tern, Bonaparte’s Gull, Snow, Ross’s, Greater White-fronted, and Cackling geese, Merlin, and Peregrine Falcon. Most of the more common ducks find their way to the pond, and all of the states regular swallows are fairly common in May.

After your fill of the ponds, it is suggested that you walk the dirt road between the ponds and the tallgrass prairie restoration plots. This edge is good for various sparrows, American Tree Sparrows abound in the winter. At the right times of years, Sedge Wren, Dickcissel, and Bobolink are findable in the prairie. Once reaching the southeast fence corner of the ponds, turn west and bird the forest edge. The best birds along here in past years have been Olive-sided Flycatcher, Black-billed Cuckoo, and Cape May Warbler. The Cape May is one of 29 warbler species that have been found on the property. Most of these warblers are found in the next section of the property, however, the riparian bottomlands.

Following the south fence on foot to the west, there will eventually be a car-wide trail that runs into the woods to the south. This will pass by an unsanctioned campsite and go down a hill. This path that eventually curves east along the north bank of Sugar Creek is especially excellent during the migration months. Aside from the warblers, there has been a breeding pair of Pileated Woodpeckers in past years and Lincoln’s Sparrows are readily locatable in the fall. Winter months give way to Golden-crowned Kinglets, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Winter Wrens and Brown Creepers.

This trail will eventually pop out of the woods at an old field. Here, you will turn left and continue up a dirt road to the north between brushy field on your east and the forest on your west. It is along this stretch of trail where a female Spotted Towhee was found in October of 2010. This section is good for sparrows, especially Field Sparrow (on territory), Brown Thrashers and Common Yellowthroat.

This road will eventually butt into the south edge of the western prairie plot. Here, you can turn right and take your first left, walking between the two prairie plots. You’ll probably flush up a Ring-necked Pheasant or two. This trail will give you another opportunity to pick up some of the grassland birds. No Ammodramus has ever been found on the property but it is very plausible for a Grasshopper or Henslow’s to show up. After reaching the north edge of the prairie, you can turn west and walk between the prairie and the road until eventually getting back to the parking area by the dirt mound. The ponds are always worth another scoping.

One other area to bird on the property is the small patch of woods to the west of the ponds. You can drive west from the dirt mound area and you’ll have to look hard, but there is a sign for bike trails just west of where the north fence of the ponds ends. You can turn south into here and park. There is a small system of mountain bike trails in the woods west of the ponds. Much of the same species that are in the south woods are found here. However, one section has a damp, seep-like area that has been decent for American Woodcock in the past.

and interactive version of the below map can be found: http://goo.gl/maps/JJ5CM

Cook County, Cook County Forest Preserves

John Duffy Grassland

December 5, 2012 Randy Shonkwiler Leave a comment

John Duffy Grassland is the part of the John Duffy Forest Preserve south of 131st Street and bordered by Will-Cook Road on the east, Bell Road on the west and private property on the south. The Red (bridal) trail (download trail map) passes north-south through the middle of the preserve, then heads east along the south edge. There is a pull-over parking spot on each side of 131st St. where the trail crosses the road but do not block the trail. There is also a small pull-over parking spot on Will-Cook Rd. on the east side across the entrance to Tampier Lake FP. On 131st St. to the west of the trail crossing is a parking lot for the bridal trail. The Forest Preserve District is often slow about opening up the parking lot in the morning. The preserve consists of larger patches of prairie with several small patches of woodland.

Birds: Look and listen for Dickcissels, Eastern Meadowlark and Eastern Bluebirds in the field south of the parking lot. A few years ago Henslow’s Sparrows also nested here but disappeared. However, with the controlled burns at Bergman Slough Field they may return as they have to other places in this preserve. A mowed trail leads from the parking lot to the Red Trail to the east. Northeast of the intersection with the Red Trail is a small pond with dead trees. A number of species nest or visit here. Nesters include Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, Warbling Vireo, Wood Duck and occasionally Red-headed Woodpecker. In the field stretching east are often Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, Dickcissel and Savannah Sparrow. Great Crested Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo and Eastern Towhee can be found in the woodlots here and throughout the preserve. At the gap in the hedge to the east you can find nesting Brown Thrasher, Indigo Bunting, Gray Catbird (all found throughout the preserve, as well) and, sometimes, Eastern Bluebird. The grasslands on the eastern half of the preserve are the best for Henslow’s, Grasshopper and Savannah Sparrows and Bobolink. On rare occasions there has been a Black-billed Cuckoo in the woodlot to the north. Red-tailed Hawks nest somewhere in this area. The woods on the south side hold Red-bellied and Hairy Woodpeckers. In 2012 there was a Ruby-throated Hummingbird at the southern gap in the hedge. Follow the Red Trail west to where it curves back north. Along the south end of the north-south leg of the trail there is usually a White-eyed Vireo; in 2012 there were 2 on territory here. There is usually a Blue-winged Warbler along here, as well. Cooper’s Hawks have nested in the woodlot on the east side of the trail. 26 June 2010 there was a Prairie Warbler heard singing distantly from the gap between woodlots on the east side of the trail; this was likely a post breeding dispersal but it may be a species to listen for in the next decade.

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Cook County, Cook County Forest Preserves

John Duffy Forest Preserve

November 27, 2012 Randy Shonkwiler Leave a comment

There are pull-over parking spaces along 123rd St./McCarthy Rd. on the north and 131st St. on the south. North side: take the trail from the parking space south; you will come into the open where this trail intersects the main loop trail. A trail ahead leads down to McGinty Slough, which can be good for dabbling ducks in season, especially American Wigeon, and some diving ducks. Ospreys nest on the opposite shore. Go left/east up the hill to view the east side of the slough, which is a flooded forest. Look for the Ospreys in the trees if you do not see them at the nest box. One or more Willow Flycatchers nest on this hill. A Blue-winged Warbler is usually found along the tree line to the east. In 2012 there were 2 or 3 Blue-wingeds on territory on the north side of the preserve. Occasionally a Yellow-breasted Chat or two is found along the main trail heading west on the north side.

West side: This is the most interesting part of the trail in the breeding season. Listen for Yellow-breasted Chats and White-eyed Vireos along the west side. Their territories shift somewhat from year to year but tend to be found most often along the south end of the trail where it takes a sharp turn to the east. Just before this (to the north) at coordinates 41.6596935, -87.9275939 there has been a singing Bell’s Vireo recorded in 2008-09 and 2011 (probably present in other years but just missed). South end: Along the power lines where the west branch of the trail emerges is the most reliable place to find Yellow-breasted Chats. It is usually a good location for Orchard Oriole, as well. A pair of Red-tailed Hawks nest somewhere along the power lines, as they are almost always spotted here. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are found in the trees east of the small pond to the south of the power lines. East side: The best breeding bird on this side are Wood Thrushes found in the more wooded north end. In spring this side can be quite good for warblers. I’ve had good luck finding Golden-winged Warblers along this side in the spring. Eastern Towhees and Field Sparrows are found throughout the preserve in the breeding season. Brown Thrashers are also common. Warning: the most common flying creature here in spring and summer is the mosquito!

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